This invention relates to new and useful improvements in electric dry shavers and more particularly to means for mounting skin engaging means adjacent the cutter head units of cutter head assembly.
It is the usual practice to provide an electric dry shaver with a cutter head assembly comprised of one or more cutter head units. Each cutter head unit includes a stationary outer cutter and a movable inner cutter. A plurality of hair reception slots are provided in the outer cutter through which facial hairs are combed into the path of the movable inner cutter for shearing.
In some electric dry shavers skin engaging means such as rollers, combs or bars are provided adjacent the hair reception slots of the outer cutter. These members function to flatten or tension the skin in advance of the hair to be sheared to prevent the skin from entering the hair reception slots and to allow the hair bristles to be cut closer to the base of the skin thereby providing a closer shave with a maximum of comfort to the user.
It is desirable in utilization of these skin engaging means to provide means for mounting the devices for movement on the walls of the shaver casing in paths transverse of the cutter head toward or away from the cutter units so that the proper position of the skin engaging means relative to the cutter head suitable to the individual needs of the particular user is achieved. It has been found that persons with certain skin will require the skin engaging members be be spaced further away from the hair reception slots than other persons with more tender skin who require the bars to be positioned closer to the cutter units.
Various means have been proposed in the past to accomplish this movement and positioning of the skin engaging means. These known means have met with varying success. In present day electric shavers however, where various other mechanisms are included in the shaver casing such as cutter head locking mechanisms, side trimmers, removable casing sections and the like problems have been encountered in providing an adjustable mounting means and means for actuating the same which requires a small area of operation within the casing and which means do not interfere with the other shaver mechanisms or operation thereof.
It is the object of the present invention to provide novel means for mounting skin engaging means adjacent a cutter assembly and which means include means for effecting movement of a skin engaging member toward or away from an adjacent cutter head unit.
Another object is to provide novel means for mounting a plurality of skin engaging bars adjacent a multiple cutter head assembly wherein a single operating means is provided for effecting and controlling simultaneously the positioning of the plurality of skin engaging bars in selected positions relative to the cutter head.
A still further object is to provide a novel skin engaging bar assembly and operating means which utilizes a minimum amount of operating area within a shaver casing.